Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-02

knees, while the outlaw WAS bound So
, curely with ropes and tied with his hacL
10 a tree only few feet away The over
land mail had arrived that day. and along
toward midnight ID. lighted "A candle and
began reading a Cincinnati newspaper in
I'll endeavor To make the long hours pass
quickly. The camp WAS in tall pine for
est-the tree tops 80 close together that
they shut cut any light from the stars.
Here and there could be seen miners rolled
( up in their blankets fast asleep on the
ground. A few smoldering fires still gave
little light: now and then momentary
name would shoot up from one of them.
Frightening the dark night but little, and
then through the gloom could he seen d.
guarding the prisoner. All was quiet. d.
WAS reading home news. when the pris-
! oner, who had seen the name of the paper
| printed III large type al the top OF the
| page, broke the silence by saying in a low
I voice:
Stranger, will You let me say few
words 10 You, I've got only few hours,
and | want to speak TO you "A little"
Yes, answered ID. in surly tone, ''go
on
DO you hail from Cincinnati. NV
friend / see you are reading a Cincin-
matt newspaper, and that was nv home
and would like 10 ask you. if you ever
go back that way, to tell little lie fol
me, snd say had been killed fighting the
Indians, for it would break INV poor old
father s heart if he heard the truth"
IN do it," answered D., "but don't
call me your friend"
Something familiar in the prisoners
voice struck D., however. and as the man
talked ID. wondered where he had heard
that voice before, and finally settled on
the man as Bill 5. who had been a big
hoy and in higher class at 81. Francis
Aavler : college when he himself was a
little boy there. And in the tall broad
shouldered, braway looking outlaw, his
face hardened by exposure and dissipa-
tion, could still be seen the likeness of the
sChoOlboy who had run away from home
10 California.
Excuse me-" said the prisoner. '.for
calling You my friend, but You were read
ing paper from my home, and il seemed
TO ME had seen you before. Did You 20 !
TO the Jesuits school IN Cincinnati when !
you were a little hoy, for your face II.
minds ME of a youngster | knew there |
whose name was D.. Frank d., thinks |
l remember him very well, because one |
day he was being bullied by a bigger boy; |
he was delicate and couldn't defend him |
sslf, and | turned in and laid the bully |
OUT
YES. Bill said D., 81 was the boy |
and remember it all. But am sorry 10
kee you where you are | didn't think
You had gone SO low. And now, Bill. Won
have got to die in the morning. and if YOU
nave any messages that you want 10 send
home you had better give them 10 me- for
your time is short. l will tell the lie you
asked me 10 tell, and if necessary | will
cover i up with a thousand more"
After remaining in silence for some
time and evidently in deep thought, ID.
continued: "Bill, do you think after his
experience, if you were free again. that
you would lead a decent life and become a
good citizen" Yes said Bill. Il
would. but there's no show for me now"
We'll, Bill, if you will promise me
that you will never steal again,
that you will always try to do right,
will let you 60. in remembrance of the
time when .ou licked that bully To save
me, for think boy who would do that
would grow to be man too good 10
hang"
But Frank" said Bill. 'can YOU do it
and save YOURSELF for they might hang
you in my place and would rather stay
and take my medicine than do that"
''Neyer mind about that. Bill. Talk
low and We will arrange the plan I will
cut your ropes and give you my knife
In the morning will he found asleep. nv
knife taken, and you gone. When You go
down the canyon take my mule He is the
iun colored one near the stream: he wears
4 horse hair halter. You can't miss him.
out lie careful. Then make Your way
north, Bill, sell the mule. and deposit the
money to my credit in san Francisco" "
The ropes Were cut and Bill was free,
md, while thanking ID. and nearly crush
ng his hand in saying good-by, ID. said to
liln: "Bill, want 10 ask you one question
sou steal THAI mule Yes, |
lid, Frank. Good-hy and God bless YOU
or this y He made his way stealthlv
iOwn the canyon and was of
As morning dawned ON the camp and
he miners began stirring they naturally
ooked to see their prisoner. There WAS
D. fast asleep on the ground. his KNIFE
aiken, the ropes cut and lying at the foot
# the tree and the prisoner gone. There
vas great excitement. Two or three ran
% d.. roughly shook him, and. with much
profanity, asked him if he knew the cusS
iuu H. lup'''A III - Ia - |
,leepy sort Of way, jumped to his feet eX-
,itedly and told the miners that the pris-
,ner must have seen him fall to sleep,
hen had carefully taken his knife with
,ut waking him. cut his ropes and gone.
The men We're very much enraEed. ID.
was made a prisoner. Some went 20 far
IS to say that ID. ought to swing in the
outlaws place and from being the best
liked man in the camp lie became an Oh
iect Of contempt. He seemed Ia feel very
badly; he looked mortified and heart
broken over his trouble. pursuing
party had been sent out. but Bill had
three hours start and il soon came back
unsuccessful but with the agreeable
news that the outlaw had stolen II. 5
mule, and they all said: by C., 1t
served him right" The loss Of his own
mule allayed all suspicion against ID, If
any had existed, and he was soon released
with a severe reprimand for his careless
ness. But. "a ID. told me afterward, once
or twice he was pretty anxious, for he
did not know what his enraged comrades
would do.
A month ago I saw ID. in New York,
where he now resides, and in the course
of our conversation / said to him: As
matter of curiosity. d. did you ever get
your money for your mule:' Yes, said
D.. about six months later the sum of L
$3.50 was deposited To my credit III san +,
Francisco by a person unknown to the
bank, and five yeays later. continued d.,
going TO the safe and handing me letter,
Il received this letter, which | have al
ways kept as proof that Bill was too good
a man to hang"
"MAYoR's OFFICE, -, Jan. 4, 1856.
s'MY DEAR FRIEND FRANK-I made .
my escape as you know, and sold your
mule for 1926. Ii was the best | could |
do. Frank was being hunted and could I
not wait for higher prices. | got the /
money and scraped together S25 more /
and left it in San Francisco for you. The I